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Lawsuits, Obstruction, and a Blimp

Robert Mueller’s report clearly shows a number of times that Don Trump attempted to obstruct justice, such as telling his White House counsel Don McGahn to fire Mueller. There are at least 10 such instances documented in the report. And yet, Trump and his minions claim the report exonerates him. It does not, but setting that aside for the moment, today he is obstructing justice yet again! He is digging his hole deeper and deeper, and I sincerely hope he falls into it very soon.

First, it was announced yesterday that Trump and his business organization are suing the chairman of the House Oversight Committee, Elijah Cummings, in an attempt to block the subpoena the committee issued requesting information from Trump’s accounting firm about his financial records. Now, this subpoena would not have been necessary if Trump had been forthcoming with his tax returns, as every other president since Reagan has done. When one refuses to answer a question, it throws up red flags and becomes obvious one has something to hide, and it is glaringly obvious at this point that Donald Trump has a heck of a lot to hide.

Judging by the fact that Trump had been involved in some 5,000 lawsuits prior to becoming president, we should not be surprised by this latest, for suing someone seems to be his modus operandi any time things don’t go his way. The argument in this one, however, is laughable.

“Instead of working with the President to pass bipartisan legislation that would actually benefit Americans, House Democrats are singularly obsessed with finding something they can use to damage the President politically.”

Trump’s lawyers are also seeking to block his accounting firm, Mazars USA, from providing any information to the committee. There is small chance that Trump will win this suit, BUT … it is seen as mainly a delaying tactic, likely until he can think of something else. Trump is wasting our money on efforts to hide his own perfidy. Plus … he is challenging the U.S. Constitution that calls for a system of checks and balances, as he asks the judicial branch to stop the legislative branch from doing their job overseeing the executive branch. Playing both ends against the middle, so to speak.

And about those tax returns … the Internal Revenue Service missed the first deadline to turn six years’ worth of tax returns over to the House Ways and Means Committee, and the deadline was pushed back until … today, and as of this writing there is no sign of any tax returns. More obfuscation.

But wait … there’s more!

Former White House personnel security director Carl Kline received a letter directing him not to show up for questioning by the House Oversight Committee. The letter came from White House deputy counsel Michael M. Purpura and claims that the subpoena for his testimony “unconstitutionally encroaches on fundamental executive branch interests.” Kline’s attorney said he will abide by the White House directive.

Mr. Kline’s testimony was requested as the committee is investigating the security clearances that appear to have been handed out willy-nilly on Trump’s orders, even though investigations had shown those individuals to be a security risk. Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner was one of those individuals.

Every single one of the above instances are attempts on the part of Trump to obstruct justice by hook or by crook. Obstruction of justice, by the way, IS against the law. Imagine if you are summonsed to appear before a judge for some matter and you don’t show up. Guess where you’ll be going? But Trump is getting by with it because … he believes he is a king, not a president of a relatively democratic nation. More and more, I am coming to believe that impeachment may be the only answer. I had been of the opinion that we should wait until all these investigations were concluded, however it appears that they may not be concluded for years, as he and his lawyers continue meddling, obfuscating, interfering and obstructing the process of the investigations.

And in other news, I am distressed to read that in less than two months, on June 3rd, Trump will travel to the United Kingdom for a state visit. The Brits do not want him there, and it is certain that he will only humiliate us in front of our UK friends. There is no good reason for him to go … it is merely an ego trip. Last July when he went to the UK amid many protests from the citizenry, it ended up costing the country £18 million, or about $23 million in security. I have an idea … how about just not having security … let the chips fall where they may.

Some are predicting even more, larger protests this time … as I said, nobody wants him there. On the fun side, however, they are getting out the Trump baby blimp and dusting it off to use again. I read in The Guardian that they may even make a new one … a hot air balloon five times the size of the original!

And on that note, I think I am finished for now … have a great day, my friends!

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83 thoughts on “Lawsuits, Obstruction, and a Blimp”

I am somehow looking forward to that visit because I think Extinction Rebellion will certainly use it to make one great big fuss. They are well organised and clever, in my opinion. Besides it distracts us from Brexit and thats probably why May agreed to having this visit now. But we’ll see… and I do love that baby 😁🙋‍♀️🐝

Queen Elizabeth let President Obama stay in the Belgium suite in Buckingham Palace but for the Trump family, there’s no room at the palace. You know this has to be killing President Trump’s ego.

Here’s one of the charges against President Nixon. If the House Oversight Committees aren’t able to obtain President Trump’s financial records and the testimony of key officials like Don McGahn, then the may have to invoke ‘articles of impeachment.’

Article 3: Contempt of Congress.

In his conduct of the office of President of the United States, Richard M. Nixon, contrary to his oath faithfully to execute the office of the President of the United States, and to the best of his ability preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States, and in violation of his constitutional duty to take care that the laws be faithfully executed, had failed without lawful cause or excuse, to produce papers and things as directed by duly authorized subpoenas issued by the Committee on the Judiciary of the House of Representatives, on April 11, 1974, May 15, 1974, May 30, 1974, and June 24, 1974, and willfully disobeyed such subpoenas. The subpoenaed papers and things were deemed necessary by the Committee in order to resolve by direct evidence fundamental, factual questions relating to Presidential direction, knowledge or approval of actions demonstrated by other evidence to be substantial grounds for impeachment of the President. In refusing to produce these papers and things, Richard M. Nixon, substituting his judgement as to what materials were necessary for the inquiry, interposed the powers of the Presidency against the lawful subpoenas of the House of Representatives, thereby assuming to himself functions and judgments necessary to the exercise of the sole power of impeachment vested by Constitution in the House of Representatives.

In all this, Richard M. Nixon has acted in a manner contrary to his trust as President and subversive of constitutional government, to the great prejudice of the cause of law and justice, and to the manifest injury of the people of the United States.

Wherefore, Richard M. Nixon, by such conduct, warrants impeachment and trial and removal from office.

(Approved 21-17 by the House Judiciary Committee on Tuesday, July 30, 1974.)

Thanks Gronda! Let us hope that he is in the throes of his last days of ‘glory’. To be otherwise would require a change to the Constitution, and the republicans are totally against that, or so they have said. Now let us hope that the Senate republicans are finally opening their eyes, too. Hugs!

“Nobody ever disobeys my orders” says the current king of our country. The audacity to frame his faulty leadership in these chilling terms provides shades of Hitler, Mussolini, Stalin… Congress need to impeach him before his delirium gets even worse.

Never in my short 67 years on this earth have I known a bigger jerk, and believe me, I’ve known some big jerks! He sees himself as a dictator, not a president. Before the 2016 election, I said he didn’t want to be president, he wanted to be supreme leader, wanted people to bow down as he passed by, wanted his every command obeyed. Congress damn well better pull a little harder on the reins and show him that he is only 1/3 of the federal government. I hear he forbade any in his administration to attend the White House Correspondent’s Dinner! Now, he might be able to dictate what they do at work, but I hope they’ve all got enough gumption to show him that he does not control their personal time! Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr.

I would agree that trump doesn’t represent my values but neither did the last three presidents. A national debt of 22 trillion has to be addressed and the last president to even remotely do this was Clinton for when he left office, there was a government surplus. Bush squandered that with his wars, Obama made it worse while proclaiming that Bush was unpatriotic for doing so, and trump, well, he’s just a different animal than any of them and that certainly is not in a good way.

Let me re-phrase, then. Trump represents the exact opposite of everything that I value. I find him to be evil, hideous, unconscionable, abominable, and monstrous. Trump is the modern-day Adolph Hitler. He is a dangerous person, he is a dictator in every sense of the word, and it is his goal to murder people like me who stand for truth and justice. I hope that soon it will no longer matter to me … if I die in my sleep tonight, I will be better off than those who have to continue to live under this regime. Sigh. Sorry, Scott, but I have never even imagined the evil that resides in Trump and most nights I truly do go to bed hoping not to awaken in the morning, that is how bad I think he is. Hugs.

I don’t want Trump to come to Britain. My husband is of the opposite view! My own personal battle is always overshadowed by politics, no matter how much I try to stay away from our whole corrupt system of Governance! 😕

I think that nobody wants him there, and I hear the MPs are trying to put a stop to it. I suspect Ms. May invited him in hopes of having at least one trading partner, post-Brexit, but he cannot be trusted. I really hope that if he comes, the protestors are out in force and show him how much he is hated. Yes, sigh, I’ve become cruel.

I’m sure the protestor will be out. What will be new, is, that like Extinction Rebellion, many of those protestor will be new, never having protested previously. Trump’s record on climate change is enough to make people angry. Anything else makes them absolutely furious. Theresa May must be out of her mind… But I suspect that she suffers the same delusions as Trump. How on earth did we get to such a terrible state in human affairs?

The only answer I have to your question is greed. Corporations are never satisfied, always want more and more … not, mind you, so that they can use it for good, or to share with their employees and raise their standard of living, but merely so they can be rich. And common people, average people, want life to be fun and easy, so they buy the goods and services from the corporations and swear they can no longer survive without their latest gadgetry. I wonder how they’ll feel about that when water is being rationed, when they have to wear a mask just to step outdoors, or when they cannot buy fresh vegetables at the market? Better yet, when Russia finally decides to play with our power grid (they’ve had that capability for a while now) and suddenly there is no electricity to run those gadgets, or cook their food, or even heat their water? Sigh.

speaking of the vulnerability of the power grids, read One Second after and one year after by William R. Forstchen. You may find them interesting reads, though they are fiction, he’s done a lot of research into what could happen if an EMP hit our grid.

Colette, just a thought, maybe Donald can visit with Nigel and Boris and have a boastfest. Between the three of them, I would not expect many facts to sneak in the conversation. All three are nostalgic of a time that has passed. They need to deal with future issues. Keith

I actually think Theresa May is the ‘Snake in the Grass,’ Keith. Boris and Nigel at least do not hide their intentions, so we can predict them. Theresa May is as narcissistic as Trump. She is about to present her Brexit plan for a fourth time, unconstitutional because it has been already ruled as’ failed voted down by MP’s’ in Parliament. She refused to meet with Greta Thunberg whom she says ‘belongs in School,’ and she has alienated herself against most of her party. I’m afraid that she and Trump will get on like a house on fire!

Not sure Keith. It is a very split thing. I think to stay now will put us at a distinct disadvantage in the EU after all this messing about.

There are many who want a second vote, but I’m not sure that it will achieve anything other than cause even more dissent and division.

I have never seen such a mess in our political system. The two main parties are not even able to agree with their own party members. Voters want to vote for Labour, but they do not like the hard-line left in the form of Jeremy Corbin.

Theresa May is about as popular as a plague of ticks.
A lot of her party are jumping ship to Nigel Farage’s new ‘Brexit Party.’

Let’s just say that it is an absolute mess and the average person is finding it more and more difficult to find the right answers to it.

Theresa May is thick skinned. I think this was pushed under the wire to try and get a deal from the US. The visit planning time is extremely short (not following protocol) and some things will not happen. The carriage ride down the Mall to Buckingham Palace will not be allowed due the protesters that are expected to harass Trump. And our ‘Speaker’ John Bercow, has not confirmed if he will allow Trump to address MP’s in the House of Commons.
Yeah… This is all about licking Trump’s boots, I think. 😔

Well there is one thing to make me happy, then … that he won’t get his carriage ride. I am told that it was very important to him, for Obama got the carriage ride, and you know that he must have what Obama had and then some! Personally, I hope they throw rotten tomatoes at him. I told David I would even chip in a few dollars toward the big balloon! Perhaps something will yet happen to keep him from going … it’s another 5 weeks or so yet … a lot can happen in that time.

Jill, in Estonia, I think, the most popular show on Sunday night TV is a recap of all of Putin’s disinformation during the week try to make Estonians long for Russia. With the sheer volume of Trump lies, I think a nightly show which goes through Trump statements and tweets with a running tally would be watched. It should be done with seriousness of purpose and veracity. The tally would let people witness the sheer magnitude of his untruthfulness. Keith

No, I had not seen that, Scott! Thanks and yes, he is the BIGGEST BIGOT in Congress today and what an arrogant ass!!! Pardon my language. But, I made him my Idiot of the Week back in 2017, for he kept coming on to my radar even then. Here is a link to that piece: https://jilldennison.com/2017/03/14/idiot-of-the-week-steve-king/

Jill, it could have subsets for his minions. Kushner saying the Mueller investigation was worse for democracy than the Russian influence calling it a few Facebook posts. That statement is not in the ballpark of being correct, but is also the type of subterfuge used by Trump and his people – obfuscate, denigrate, deny. Truth be told, I believe Trump wants to white wash the Russian efforts as he wants their help in 2020. Keith

What a jerk Kushner is, but remember, his own father is no better than Trump, so between them he’s had a fine set of role models. I’m sure Trump wants everybody to just forget about the Russian interference, for he doesn’t want a hue and cry to close the holes so that it can’t happen again. He would very much welcome Putin’s help next year, for without it he’s toast. At least … I hope he’s toast. There is much work to be done, though, over the next 18 months.

Jill, we are at a crossroads moment for the GOP and our country. If Congress subpoenas someone, rhey better show up. If the GOP does not stand by Congress and allows the President to tell his staff not to go, then we have an autocracy. If people don’t show-up, they need to be arrested. Keith

I fully agree. His claims of ‘executive privilege’ are way out of line. Did you hear that he has forbidden anyone in his administration to attend the White House correspondent’s dinner? Now … if I work for you, you cannot tell me what I can or cannot do on my own time, right? He is acting an awful lot like an autocrat … a dictator … in my book.

Agreed. By the way, some one like Don McGahn knows he better show up. Gronda has an interesting post on a GOP transition team member calling for Trump’s impeachment. And, Bill Weld, who is running against Trump in the primary has called for Trump to resign. These are not Dems saying this.

Good Grief! I will never understand how you research and write several posts a day/7 days a week, read all the comments on each of them both present and past, comment on the comments both present and past, then return again to comment on a comment that is a comment on your comment on their original comment both past and present and…maintain any semblance of sanity, sense of humor, spend time with your family and friends, or find time to eat and maybe sleep!!! Added to that, there are some followers that are unable to restrict their comments to the minimum amount of words necessary to get their pointless point across, thus wasting valuable minutes of your time that would be better spent elsewhere! I have been grumbling to myself about the myriad of emails that remain largely unread since sometime Saturday. Eastery Bunny chores, the Sunday celebration and a wet keyboard put me way behind and I’m just a reader, follower and occasional commenter! Shame on me for complaining even if only to me,myself, and I. That said, in an effort to give you some needed minutes, I will not comment on the above excellent post. I will only suggest that you use the gift of those precious minutes to find and read a piece by Paul Krugman, The New York Times opinion columnist, titled “The Great Republican Abdication” from April 22, 2019. I would also suggest NYT’s David Leonhardt’s op-ed of today titled “The Impeachment Quandary”, but you may have already done so. Thank-you!

Who said I maintain any semblance of sanity??? For the most part, the key to how I do what I do is that I am doing what I love … writing. Now, these days, admittedly, there is a love/hate relationship … not with the writing, but the subject matter which has me in the grip of a fairly strong bit of depression at the moment. But, if you’re going to ask why I don’t write about a happier topic, then, the answer is because perhaps I am fooling myself, but I somehow believe that what I write has some value. I’ve been told I’m merely spitting in the wind, and perhaps that is true, but … I am trying in the only way I know how to make a difference. For a number of reasons, I am not able to go out and carry signs, marching in protests, but I can make my voice heard here. Maybe somebody shares my work and somebody else sees it and says, “You know, I never thought about it like that.” So, I have the motivation to keep on doing this.

I have bookmarked Krugman’s piece to read later tonight, for that was the one that set Trump off on a tear this morning. Leonhardt’s is probably in my inbox, which I’ve not gotten to yet tonight, but I will make a note to definitely read it on your suggestion! And Ellen … your comments brighten my day … please don’t cut them short! Hugs!

Seems guilty to me, however the rule of law does not apply to Trump as long as he continues being an agent of the state. Play ball with special interests and he’ll live to see the end of his term. Forget impeachment, indictments, sadly he gets a free pass as long as TPB allow it. If he continues waging war, destroy the environment, deregulate banks, cut corporate taxes, screw the working class as much as possible… hell he’ll probably be re-elected for another term. Mind you I’m super upset as much as you, but I see the writing on the wall and it’s clear Trump has become a total puppet of the state. Why do you think he has the support of both parties, DOJ, mainstream news. *Sigh* 😦

I would love to see Trumpelstiltskin without security, only we wouldn’t be able to. He would be so scared he would never appear in public that way. Can you imagine him trying to hide behind Melania’s “I Don’t Give a Damn” coattails? The image in my head is… Priceless!

Hello sklawlor. Were you following the news during Obama’s presidency? The tea party and other right wing flack media constantly called for security protections to be with drawn from the Obamas. The cost of everything the Obamas, including their children, did was exaggerated and blasted across Fox News programs. Every vacation was a scandal of how much security and plane travel cost the taxpayer, every car trip was an exercise in selfishness when an Obama did it, but really OK and fine for a tRump. Trump took a motorcade to go across the street to Blair House.
They threw a lot of shit, but always cry fowl when any get thrown back. Hugs

I knew the right was always pouncing on the obamas for extravagant travel but I didn’t know they called for the withdrawal of security. That’s horrible and these same right wingers don’t say a word over Trumps travels to his resort. There are hypocrits on both sides.

Hello Sklawlor. The thing that makes it worse is the Obama’s were shot at in the White House. Someone noticed paint falling and when Secret Service checked they found bullet holes in the exterior of the living quarters. I do not think anyone on the left would seriously call for the removal of tRump’s personal security as was done to his predecessor, however as angry as tRump manages to get people I wouldn’t say that there is no chance someone would try to get him. Remember he has a lot of mob connections in different countries. Some day he might have an accounting with them. Hugs

Well said, Scottie. I would only add that Trump has traveled on personal pleasure FAR more than Obama did. He goes to Mar-a-Lago else his property in New Jersey nearly every single weekend. PLUS … we are paying for Secret Service protection for Junior and Eric when they travel on Trump Inc. business.

hoping or suggesting that the president travel without security and “letting the chips fall where they may”, isn’t that almost at the line of promoting an attempt on the president? I would suggest that he just save the 23 million and not go, that way the brits don’t have to waste money on a stupid blimp. Besides, I still contend that if something happened to Trump, the vice-president is a worse candidate for the office of president and that’s saying a hell of a lot considering who’s there now.

Believe me, we don’t mind spending money on the blimp. It’s much less that the security (and probably the food) bill for having him here. He was rude and arrogant on his least visit, I doubt much has changed and he’s proved himself to be out of touch with our game plan on global warming and with NATO. I doubt Pence could be much worse in the office of President, he’d have to start from scratch. His leanings may be all towards the Church but hat doesn’t mean he might not do something fr the people like health care as promised by Trump.
Hugs

Very round, but not so short. He wears the ugliest toupee imaginable, and some days it’s silver, some days bleach blonde, and some days orange. His face is pockmarked, presumably from teenage acne, and he makes terrible contortions with his mouth. Oh, how I wish you could see him for yourself! Oh, and he weighs over 300 pounds I’m sure.

Well, Scott, Trump always travels with the Secret Service, so he is never without security. That $23 million is what it will cost the UK (who, by the way, have troubles enough of their own at the moment) in police protection because of all the protests that are a result of the fact that literally NOBODY, except perhaps Nigel Farage, wants Trump over there!

Now, about the blimp… since I know you could not see the picture, it is a big fat blimp (Trump is very fat, likely weighing well over 300 pounds) with a diaper on. I think the average citizen of the UK would rather pay for the blimp than the police to protect a man that most of us would rather see dead anyway.

As for Pence … he would be bad in the sense that he is a bigot and a religious zealot. However, if Trump is impeached or otherwise gotten rid of this year, Pence would only have a year to serve, and wouldn’t be able to change the rules of separation of church and state much in that year. The advantage is that Pence is more intelligent than Trump and would be less likely to make utterly stupid foreign policy blunders that could start WWIII. And, no worries about him being re-elected, for on his own, Pence could not win an election for president, for he has about as much personality as a banana.

Hello Jill. tRump is getting away with acting like a king because the republicans in congress want a king, and the republicans who are hsi base are in love with authortarians. Any way you slice this, it is a horrible thing for our democracy. As for the State visit, he is demanding it to get his golden carriage ride and has been because President Obama had one. His need to try to erase Obama or at least say he did everything Obama did is a real psychosis it seems. Hugs

Hello David. I agree, he will never be the person President Obama is. But in his own mind tRump thinks he is not only the best ever at anything, he is such a racist he can not see any POC as a successful person. Hugs

While I largely agree with what you say, the thing to remember is that Trump’s base is the minority … at most they comprise maybe 40% of the population. This is why it is imperative to get gerrymandered districts re-drawn by independent mapmakers, and also take measures to ensure that the Russians keep their fat noses out of our election, for then there will be no Trump win in 2020. I hope if he is riding in a carriage the horse poops in his face!

Hello Jill. I agree we need to do those things. However everyone needs to understand we won’t get any help from republicans in congress because they need that 30% to 40% that make up the most rabid of the far right republican base. The base would turn on anyone who even appears to not properly bow to their most loved leader, causing them to lose their wonderful seats in the best restaurants in town along with their seats in congress, and their parking spots. So that minority percentage of the republican party controls all of the party due to the fact the candidates need them to get the republican nomination. Hugs

And that, my friend, is the problem. Partisan politics have become so dominant that We the People no longer count … until election day, and to a large degree, not even then. I’m just fed up with them all … in fact, I’m fed up with the human race. 😥 Hugs, my dear friend.

Those 30% of non-voters is the problem we need to address very diligently in the coming 18 months, and it is one that we can all do something about by talking to people, through our writing, making it clear how very important it is for everyone to vote! I’m thinking that democratic turnout might be high next year, for we all want Trump out!